____/ Mark Kent on Wednesday 21 November 2007 08:26 : \____
> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>> Every Macedonian Student to Use Ubuntu-Powered Computer Workstations
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>| Popular Linux distribution to appear on more than 180,000 classroom
>>| desktops nationwide.
>> `----
>
> Expect Ballmer and/or Gates to be at the relevant Macedonian ministry
> within hours, bearing "gifts".
>
> We'll find out how corruptible Macedonian government is soon.
>
> It's an interesting side-effect of Microsoft's current activities, that
> we're finding all kinds of corruption going on!
Yes, they already do this in Russia (just as they did in China).
Recent:
Microsoft deals with open source software in Russian schools using Chinese
experience
,----[ Quote ]
| 1999 China government got concerned with dependence on Microsoft, so it
| decided to develop its own open source software on the basis of Linux, called
| Red Flag Linux. In Russia a similar program has just been launched. Up to
| 2009 end all Russian schools are to be supplied with the open source software
| package, created by the Russian programmers.
`----
http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/11/08/273904
Related:
Russian Linux (ALTLinux) to be installed in every school in Russia
,----[ Quote ]
| Russian OS is to be installed on every school computer in Russia by 2009.
| Furthermore, every pupil will get the opportunity to operate the applied
| software produced in Russia, Leonid Reiman, acting Minister of Communication
| stated at a press conference. According to Mr. Reiman, that might
| significantly reduce Russian dependence on foreign software.
`----
http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007%2F09%2F14%2F266177
Linux being launched at schools
,----[ Quote ]
| Besides the operating system the package is to comprise some freely
| distributed programs, close to MS Office by their functionality, which are to
| be used on computers with the following characteristics: 233 MHz and 128MB
| DDR.
`----
http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/10/25/272200
Russian public agencies choose Mandriva
,----[ Quote ]
| Mandriva development is carried out jointly by Mandriva's offices in Russia,
| France and Brazil. The Mandriva Linux OS is thus considered a national OS for
| Russia. The decision of FSTEC of the Russian Federation (RF) implied that
| Russian public agencies will be authorised to use the Mandriva Linux OS on
| PCs running confidential information.
`----
http://www.mandriva.com/company/press/pr/russian_public_agencies_choose_mandriva
Russian Government Will Migrate to OpenSource
,----[ Quote ]
| Russia decided to follow after EU countries, where opensource
| solutions are more spread then in Russia. Currently, some Russian
| companies can offer their own Desktop Linux OS (the major companies
| are ASPLinux, ALTLinux, Linux-Online and LinuxCenter).
`----
http://danays.blogspot.com/2006/12/russian-government-will-migrate-to.html
Russian schools abandon Windows after piracy scare
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft says that the incident has nothing to do with them, but it
| appears that Russian schools in the area are so scared about being shipped
| off to a Siberian Gulag, that they are buying Linux gear instead.
|
| [..]
|
| According to Karpushin, schools would start using freely distributed
| software like the Linux OS, Russky office and Open office desktop apps,
| Ekho Moskvi reports.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37460
Linux Education in America: Inspiration from Russia?
,----[ Quote ]
| The reason that the Russian announcement is funny boils down to the
| perception over the years that Russia equates to totalitarianism, whilst here
| in America we're all about Freedom and innovation. Yet our educational
| system -- the very underpinnings of how we're growing out future
| technological talent, is based upon the inversion of what one would expect
| given the respective reputations of both countries.
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/93171/index.html
Russia is latest country to move towards OpenDocument format and open standards
,----[ Quote ]
| The stated rationale for this legislation is that “open standards will
| contribute to an increased number of bidders for government contracts and
| will increase opportunities for Russian software developers... [and] the
| problem of interoperability will be addressed as will the ability to access
| information into the future.”
`----
http://www.itrportal.com/absolutenm/templates/article-docsoft.aspx?articleid=4410&zoneid=57
Governments Must Reject Gates' $3 Bid to Addict Next Billion PC Users
,----[ Quote ]
| "Microsoft's strategy of getting developing nations hooked on its
| software was clearly outlined by Bill Gates almost a decade ago," said
| Con Zymaris, CEO of long-standing open source firm Cybersource.
|
| Specifically, Bill Gates, citing China as an example, said:
|
| "Although about 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but
| people don't pay for the software," he said. "Someday they will, though.
| As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours.
| They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to
| collect sometime in the next decade."[1]
`----
http://www.cybersource.com.au/press/gates_set_to_addict_next_billion.html
Microsoft Happy with the Evolution of Windows Vista Piracy
,----[ Quote ]
| But the truth is that Microsoft is happy with the way Windows Vista
| piracy is evolving. Is there a catch to this? No. The fact of the
| matter is that Windows Vista has delivered a heavy blow to
| software counterfeiters. The reason for this is the new Windows
| Genuine Advantage security mechanism integrated into the
| operating system.
|
| You may not notice this on the surface. On the surface, the
| Internet is crawling with Windows Vista cracks, hacks and
| workarounds. On the surface, every Windows Vista edition has
| been cracked and is available for download via peer-to-peer
| networks. But this is not the true extent of Windows Vista piracy.
`----
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Happy-with-the-Evolution-of-Windows-Vista-Piracy-50577.shtml
[Mandriva CEO:] An open letter to Steve Ballmer
,----[ Quote ]
| Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their
| mind like this? It’s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone.
| How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my
| place, they give it various names, I’m sure you know them.
|
| Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?
|
| Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one.
| You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics
| you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win
| too.
`----
http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/
Cringely the Unemployable on the fallacy of Web 2.0, Microsoft ruthlessness,
and the CB radio of our decade
,----[ Quote ]
| Davidson: Which software company would you hate to compete against? What
| makes you single them out?
|
| Cringely: Microsoft of course. They have the deepest of pockets, unlimited
| ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make
| sure that you don't make any money, either. And they are mean, REALLY mean.
|
| Davidson: Why do you think Microsoft is mean? Are you implying some kind of
| malicious intent rather than just ruthlessness?
|
| Cringely: Maybe "mean" is the wrong word to use for Microsoft. "Ruthless" is
| good. The company is built in the image of Bill Gates and Bill is a guy who
| gets caught-up in the game of business and doesn't typically see its personal
| cost. To use what might seem to be an obscure example, just look at all the
| various partnerships and industry consortia that Microsoft has announced
| through the years that never produced a product or even a usable
| specification. There have been literally dozens of these operations that are
| intended solely to freeze the competition until Microsoft can figure what the
| heck it actually wants to do. To Microsoft its a PR exercise that helps them
| compete but to customers it is just a damned lie. That's ruthless. There are
| plenty of other examples I can give but you get the point. I represent the
| concerns of users, not vendors, and Microsoft doesn't really care about
| users.
`----
http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2007/07/cringely-the-un.html
Microsoft Spent $4.8M Lobbying
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp. spent $4.8 million to lobby the federal government in the
| first half of the year on visas for high-tech workers, software piracy and
| numerous other issues.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071105/microsoft_lobbying.html?.v=1
Microsoft trying to derail Google/DoubleClick deal by lobbying congress
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has hired lobbying firm Patton Boggs LLC to do work on "competitive
| issues surrounding Google/DoubleClick [sic] merger."
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070816-microsoft-spends-40000-to-lobby-congress-about-googledoubleclick-merger.html
Gates blackmailed Danish government
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft boss Bill Gates threatened to kill 800 Danish jobs if
| Denmark opposed the European Computer Implemented Inventions
| Directive, reports today's Danish financial daily Børsen,
| quoted by NoSoftwarePatents.com.
`----
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/articles/auto/02162005a.php
Conflict of interests of political party president in softwarepatents issue
in the EU
,----[ Quote ]
| It now appears that Lehne works as a Brussels lobbying consultant
| for multinational corporations who are the main clients of one of
| the leading lawfirms for patent litigation in Europe, which is
| also itself involved in patent lobbying and closely connected
| to lobbying organisations.
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/38793/index.html
How Microsoft distorted the facts in the Vienna conclusions
,----[ Quote ]
| Lately, many signs exist showing how Microsoft's monopoly power
| extends to government and media. We can add a new example to this
| list: The "Vienna conclusions". It seems, their power even
| extends to distorting findings in official UN documents. The
| story contains all usual elements: Sponsorship, not willing
| to participate in public discussions, a conflict of interest
| of one of the members of the committee, and a Microsoft PR
| worker making a ridiculous statement. After that, of course,
| Microsoft denied most of it and ignored the rest.
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/49522/index.html
Study: open source needs official support; Lobbyist
disagrees with "flawed" conclusions
,----[ Quote ]
| The study, commissioned by the European Commission, Directorate
| General Enterprise and Industry, is but a small part of the larger
| FLOSSPOLS project that aims to keep the EU a leader in global
| development of open source software.
|
| [...]
|
| Now, the ISC is widely regarded as a shill for Microsoft, although
| the member list also includes companies like Intel, Autodesk, and
| RSA Security (now an EMC subsidiary). The 300-strong member list is
| mostly padded with lesser lights such as Yapi ve Kredi Bankasi(
| Turkey), ThreeSixtyDegreez (Pakistan), and Datoprogrammu Apgads
| (Latvia). The institute pushes hard for the right to patent
| software, alongside regular bashings of open source businesses.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061017-8011.html
Changing the Report, After the Vote
,----[ Quote ]
| That agreement was nearly imperiled last weekend, though. Gerri
| Elliott, corporate vice president at Microsoft's Worldwide Public
| Sector division, sent an e-mail message to fellow commissioners
| Friday evening saying that she "vigorously" objected to a paragraph
| in which the panel embraced and encouraged the development of open
| source software and open content projects in higher education.
`----
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/09/01/commission
Politics and tech companies: follow the money
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061110-8194.html
Changing the Report, After the Vote
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/09/01/commission
Microsoft's 'Men in Black' kill Florida open standards legislation
,----[ Quote
| It was just a bit of text advocating open data formats that was slipped into
| a Florida State Senate bill at the last minute with no fanfare, but within
| 24 hours three Microsoft-paid lobbyists, all wearing black suits, were
| pressuring members of the Senate Committee on Governmental Operations
| (COGO) to remove the words they didn't like from Senate bill 1974.
`----
http://enterprise.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/04/16/2019244&from=rss
Politicians in Microsoft's Pocket
,----[ Quote ]
| Continuing on the theme of which politicians are receiving money from
| who. Here is a list of candidates who took money from MSFT.
`----
http://www.fonz.net/blog/archives/2007/06/04/politicians-in-microsofts-pocket/
Microsoft's China boss quits to head NBA in China
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft said its global vice president, Zhang Yaqin, would take over as
| acting Greater China chief while it sought a permanent replacement.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9595_22-6208825.html
OOXML, ODF and UOF: What's Up in China?
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has seemed to be flying high in the Peoples Republic of China
| lately. Bill Gates spent several days in Beijing earlier this year in
| meetings with high-level officials, after hosting Chinese President Hu Jintao
| the spring before at Gate's own home. And legitimate copies of Microsoft
| products appear to be at last gaining ground in comparison to pirated copies,
| albeit at the price of discounting them to almost unimaginable levels
| (students can now reportedly obtain a Windows/Office bundle for the
| incredible price of $3). Many credited Microsoft's pragmatic decision to
| accept Chinese realities and not insist on having everything its own way.
`----
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20070817070419313
Microsoft ‘monopoly’ comes under fire
,----[ Quote ]
| We are calling on the government to veto the OOXML format at the
| International Organization for Standardization (ISO).” The OOXML format is a
| file specification released by Microsoft in December last year for its
| Microsoft Office 2007 suite. It is currently in a fast track standardization
| process with the ISO and will be subject to voting next month. Unlike the
| current ISO digital document standard ODF (Open Document Format) and China’s
| national standard UDF (Unified Office Document Format), Microsoft’s OOXML
| format can only be run on a Windows platform.
|
| It is also criticized for containing many proprietary technologies that can
| only be fully supported by Microsoft’s Office products.
`----
http://www.bbj.hu/main/news_29721_microsoft+%25E2%2580%2598monopoly%25E2%2580%2599+comes+under+fire.html
An open document standard for China
,----[ Quote ]
| Another standard that Microsoft does not support, is the
| RFC 3987 specification, which defines UTF-8 capable Internet addresses.
| Consequently, OOXML does not support the use of Chinese
| characters within a Web address.
|
| Microsoft also did a bad job in creating a document format
| for the whole world, which is an important requirement for an ISO standard.
| Considerations for users in Israel and many Muslim countries were excluded in
| the specification of OOXML. For any locale, the function 'Networkdays()' will
| always return Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. However, this is wrong for
| Iraq, Algeria, Sudan, Bahrain, Qatar, Bangladesh, Israel, Jordan, Libya,
| Pakistan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. ODF handles this correctly.
|
| There are many more examples why OOXML isn't a suitable candidate for an ISO
| standard yet. From my point of view, Microsoft should stop, as soon as
| possible, bringing more redundancy into office document formats.
|
| It would be much better if Microsoft takes the good ideas and technologies
| from OOXML, and tries to join an effort to unify ODF, UOF and OOXML. For
| those interested, the blog of IBM's Robert Weir, is a good source to get
| informed about the issues of OOXML.
|
| I hope China will not support OOXML in its ISO voting, but force Microsoft to
| consider talks for one harmonized office document standard for the whole
| world.
`----
http://www.zdnetasia.com/blog/opensource/0,39060102,63000113,00.htm
McCain comes out against Net Neutrality; Says would hire Microsoft CEO Steve
Ballmer
,----[ Quote ]
| In another move that was sure to infuriate many geeks, the 70 year
| old presidential hopeful also said that he would ask Microsoft CEO
| Steve Ballmer to serve on his cabinet to deal with technology issues
| if elected. He did not however say what position Ballmer might be
| hired in, but did joke that he might consider him for a diplomatic
| position, such as ambassador to China.
`----
http://www.thedailybackground.com/2007/05/30/mccain-comes-out-against-net-neutrality-says-would-hire-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer/
Treachery In The Trenches
,----[ Quote ]
| I believe that most people do not grasp the immense entity of Microsoft.
| This is an organization and a man who commands the attention and bidding
| of world leaders. On a recent trip to America, the President of China
| spent his first evening in the United States, not with our President,
| but Bill Gates. He was the guest of the Gates mansion that first
| evening and the guest of honor for a dinner attended by over one
| hundred people. Why? To ask him to crack down on Software piracy
| and to insure that his computer manufacturers put Microsoft Windows
| on thier newly made machines instead of shipping them with no OS. He
| didn't see the President of the United States for over 36 hours...he
| spent that time with Bill Gates at his home and at the Redmond
| Campus.
`----
http://blog.lobby4linux.com/index.php?/archives/88-Treachery-In-The-Trenches.html
--
~~ Best of wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | Useless fact: Falsity implies anything
http://Schestowitz.com | RHAT Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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